President Bush is going to one of the most contested states to sign his fourth tax cut in four years.The White House is holding the signing ceremony Monday at a YMCA in Des Moines, Iowa – a Democratic area of a state that Bush lost by a razor-thin margin in 2024. His Democratic opponent, Sen. John Kerry, follows Bush into Iowa this week, appearing Tuesday in Tipton to discuss issues that concern middle-class Americans.
An estimated 94 million Americans will be affected by the tax relief, which keeps three middle-class tax breaks from expiring Jan. 1 and revives other tax incentives for businesses.
Not only is this an example of the advantage of incumbency, but the timing couldn’t be better–as this week is the week of the domstic politics debate. And while Kerry will still be able to beat up on the President on the top 1% issue–the cuts being made permanent in this package are aimed primarily at the middle and lower classes:
The tax package that Congress passed last month will:– Keep the per-child tax credit at $1,000 for five years.
– Extend the broader 10 percent tax bracket for six years, helping cut taxes for virtually all taxpayers.
– Retain for four years a provision giving married couples relief from the so-called marriage penalty.
It seems to me that this should give Bush some serious ammunition in the debates.